In those heady "classic rock" (i.e., 50s rock'n'roll) days, as much as I loved all the "teenage" tunes on the radio, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, et al, what really sent my pre-pubescent soul were the "adult" songs the DJs slipped in by such as Sam Cooke, Dinah Washington, Della Reese, Sarah Vaughan, and later, Ray Charles. This is one of my all-time favorites. . . .

Is I Is or Is I Ain’t?

Sure, you can get there from here. “Blues, jazz, the gospel,” declareth Thomas A. Dorsey, indicating from whence it came. Lightning Hopkins made it location specific: “The blues is a . . . feelin’.” “You can be in my dream if I can be in yours. . . .” Abraham Lincoln said that. It just goes on and on. Ernie K-Doe: “all music comes from New Orleans,” etc., etc. Mammy Yokum makes it so: “Ah has spoke.” Building on these forebears’ premises we say, it’s all feelins, it’s all music, so it’s all blues! Blues All Kinds. Country. And Western. And Eastern. Big Joe Turner’s “Boogie Woogie Country Girl” exclamation is our summation: “Yaaa-hoo!”

But seriously, folks

We’re here to play for you some of our favorite songs and records from the past 100 years, primarily in the vernacular vein, much of it American roots music but we do venture further afield, ear on the tracks. In that capacity we are fans, wannabe DJs, and evangelists all rolled into one. (cue theme: Little Walter’s“I’m a crazy mixed up kid”) Downloading has been disabled and as we are aware that the system can be gamed, we would encourage you not to, and quote two cultural luminaries of times past, Rockin’ Robin Roberts (don’t be “a dirty robber”) and Nancy Reagan (“Just say no!”) as an encouragement to be a good citizen. If any of the music we post moves you enough to want to own it for future enjoyment, the majority of what’s here is currently available either as CDs, mp3s, or vinyl from your local record store or online seller. Links to the sources will regularly be placed at the bottom of the posts.